GARDAI are spending €1,000 a day on overtime to "babysit" two bogs 24 hours a day and prevent illegal turf cutting.

An estimated €32,000 has been spent by the Garda at Clonmoylan and Barroughter bogs in South East Galway. Both have been subject to a round-the-clock garda presence since July 5.

Local residents, councillors and turf-cutters say that at least four gardai are constantly on patrol ensuring that raised bogs are not being cut.

The cost of stationing four gardai permanently at the bogs, which are just a mile apart, over the past 32 days would be at least €32,800 in overtime.

This works out at €1,026.74 per day to patrol Clonmoylan and Barroughter bogs, which are 1,000 and 430 acres in size respectively.

When asked by the Irish Independent about the number of personnel deployed in the area on a 24-hour basis, a garda spokesperson in Galway said that they did not "discuss the details of ongoing security operations".

The spokesperson would also not confirm how long the patrol was likely to continue.

However, locals have said that there are "at least" four gardai on patrol every hour of the day.

Many locals say they have witnessed a far higher level of garda presence over the past month.